Improved pack-saddle



y wwf/Www Madam N.PETERS, PHqfo-LITHDGRAFHER WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

w. T. CAMPBELL, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVED PAoK-sAoDLE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,547, dated August 18, 1863.

.To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, W. T. CAMPBELL, United States Volunteers, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented a new and Improved Pack-Saddle; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to certain improvements, fully described hereinafter, in pack-saddles, the said improvements having been made with the view of producing a pack-saddle more cheap, simple, and durable than those'of ordinary construction, my improvements possessing the further advantage of affording increased facilities for attaching the load to and detachin g itfrom the saddle, as fully explained y hereinafter.

1n order to enable others to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe the manner of constructing and applying the same.

0n reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, Figure lis a side view of my improved pack-saddle; Fig. 2, a front view, partly in section; and Fig. 3 a detached view of part of the saddle. Y

Similar letters refer to similarparts throughout the several views.

A and A are two wooden bars, arranged a suitable distance apart from each other, and properly formed on the under side for fitting to the back of a horse or mule. These two bars are connected together near one end by a malleable-iron arched piece, B, and near the opposite end by a similar arched piece, B, theform of which will be best observed on reference to the View, Fig. 2. The bars are also connected together in the middle by a third malleableiron arched piece, D, (seen in Fig. 3,) this piece having two strong curved projections, d and d', the purpose of which will appear hereinafter. It should be understood that the thrf e arched pieces are not permanently connected to the wooden bars, but are securely fastened to the same by detachable screws, so that the arched pieces can be disconnected from the bars when it is desirable that the whole should be packed in a small compass for transportation. Two pins, E and E', are Iitted to each of the wooden bars A and A', each pin penetrating the bar at a point where one end of one of the arched pieces B or B is secured to the said bar, as best observed on reference to Fig. 2, so that the' pins can be properly secured without weakening the bars, to which the said pins are so fitted that they can be readily withdrawn under circumstances described hereinafter.

' F and F are two straps passing over both bars, to which they are secured, the two straps being connected on each side ot' the saddle to a ring, G, one end of the belly-band H being attached to each ring. Near to the lower edge of each bar is secured a leather iiap, I, both iiaps being boundto the sides of the horse or mule by a second belly-band, J. A strap, K, is securedto each of the flaps I, the two straps being connected to the crupper-strap, to which are also connected two straps, L, one of which .is secured to each of thebars. At the lower end ot' each strap L is a metal ring, M, a similar ring, N, being secured to a strap, P, attaohed to each of the bars A and A. Q is the breast-strap, one end of which is secured to one of the flaps I, the opposite end being secured to the opposite flap.

It will beunnecessary to illustrate or de scribe more minutely the crupper-straps, breast-straps, and belly-band, as they are in most respects similar, both as regards construction and arrangement, to straps heretofore used in connection with packsaddles.

The most important features of my invention, and those to which I wish to direct special attention, are the two bars A and A', the three wrought-iron arched pieces for connectin g these bars together, the four pins, two on each bar, and one near each end of the same, and the four rings M and N, two on each bar.

It is to the parts last enumerated and to the peculiar position of these parts to which my improvements cspeciall y relate.

In pack-saddles as at present used for army purposes, the trees are made of six or more pieces of wood glued together, the whole being covered with rawhide, which is liable to sudden expansion and contraction, the wooden portion of the saddle being consequently liable to become dismembered or the hide to split, the saddle in either` case becoming useless. The strap and buckle appliances for packing the load ou the usual saddles are complex and expensive, and demand tedious manipulation. The main object of my invention has been to obviate these evils.

My improved pack-saddle being properly strapped to the horse or mule, the loading and packing can be readily accomplished in the following manner: lf it be desirable to load the saddle with two boxes of crackers or ammunition and one sack of corn, the. latter is placed longitudinally between the pins E,

in red lines, Fig. 1, there being four folds, l,V

2, 3, and 4, the folds l and 4 being beneath the box and the folds 2 and 3 on the outside of the same. The rope is then drawn tight, hitched to the curved projections d and d', after which the bag of corn is placed in the position referred to above, and is confined by the same rope which serves to secure the boxes. It will be observed that therope passes through the rings M and N, which serve theimportant purpose of maintaining the folds in the best position for receiving and securing the load. ln many instances the saddle has to be loaded entirely with sacks of corn or entirely with boxes. In such cases the pins must be removed so as to make way for the load, which is secured by the rope. Two ordinary sacks of corn can be carried transversely on the saddle and one on each side. Other loads-such as tents and tent-poles, baggage, &c.-can be secured to the saddle by the rope in a manner which will readily suggest itself without explanation.

One of the most important advantages of my invention is the readiness with which the load can be removed from the saddle. The binding-rope can be secured by a simple slipknot to one of the projections,.d or d', and on loosening this knot the whole of the load is at once detached and in a position to be readily removed from the bindings.

When my improved pack-saddles have to be packed for transportation in wagons or cars, the three arched pieces may be disconnected from the wooden bars, when the saddle can be folded up into a very small compass.

It should be understood that the projections d and d may either form a part of the arched piece l) or may be made detachable therefrom.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure- 'name to this specication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

W. T. CAMPBELL. Witnesses:

HENRY HowsoN, J oHN WHITE. 

